UoH students to hold martyrdom day tomorrow

Hyderabad: A group of students from University of Hyderabad, where Rohith Vemula committed suicide on January 17 last year, are planning to hold a 'Shahadat Din' on the first death anniversary of the Dalit research scholar.

The mass gathering, to be organised on January 17 on the varsity campus, is slated to be attended by Rohit's mother Radhika Vemula, Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammad Akhlaq who was lynched in September 2015 on suspicion that his family stored and ate beef at their house, and the Dalits who were thrashed by 'cow vigilantes' at Una in Gujarat last year.

On January 17, Vemula's portraits in all hostels would be garlanded and a remembrance rally would also be held, said the students, who planning a series of programmes under the banner of 'Justice for Rohit Vemula.' They also said that they would organise a 'Mashaal Juloos' and 'songs of resistance' on the campus on Monday.

The UoH had witnessed sporadic protests following Vemula's death on January 17 last year. The students had demanded removal of Appa Rao Podile from the Vice-Chancellor's post and had also sought his arrest.

Vemula's suicide had also sparked massive nationwide protests, resulting in a fierce political slugfest with a string of parties and Dalit organisations siding with students and accusing the BJP and varsity administration of being anti-Dalit.

Raising questions on Rohit Vemula's Dalit status, a commission constituted by the HRD Ministry after the scholar's death had said the material on record did not establish it and attributed his suicide to personal reasons.